Tornado watch expires after storms move across Charlotte region
A tornado warning for west-central Mecklenburg County was canceled at 6:30 p.m. Friday, as the severe storm that prompted the warning moved from the area, according to the National Weather Service.
A tornado watch expired at 8 p.m. for the Piedmont and Upstate South Carolina.
Parts of Charlotte, including the airport, Steele Creek and Paw Creek, were under a tornado warning until 6:45 p.m. Friday, according to the weather service.
Central and northwest Charlotte are under the warning until about 7 p.m., NWS meteorologists said in the warning.
The NWS also issued the warning until 6:45 p.m. for Mount Holly, Belmont and Cramerton in Gaston County.
At 6:12 p.m., a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado was spotted 4 miles south of Gastonia, moving northeast at 20 mph, according to the NWS.
Half-dollar size hail also was possible, NWS meteorologists said in the warning.
“Radar indicated rotation,” according to the warning. “Flying debris will be dangerous to those caught without shelter. Mobile homes will be damaged or destroyed. Damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles will occur. Tree damage is likely.”
A tornado watch means a tornado is possible in and near the watch area. A warning means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar, according to the NWS.
“Ping Pong sized” hail could accompany the scattered gusts of wind traveling up to 70 mph, the NWS office in Greer, S.C., said in a tweet.
Parts of Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia fall under the watch, the NWS said.
On Wednesday, a line of severe storms knocked out power to least 7,500 Charlotte-area homeowners, including about 4,500 customers in Mecklenburg County and 2,100 in Iredell County, Duke Energy reported.
Power was restored to most all homeowners well before sunrise Thursday, the Duke Energy outage map showed.
Airport delays, cancellations
Storms throughout the morning and afternoon led to 479 delays and 82 cancellations by 8:30 p.m., according to the flight tracking site FlightAware.com.
Charlotte weather forecast
Charlotte has a 60% chance of showers and thunderstorms Friday evening, according to the NWS Charlotte forecast posted Friday.
Gusts up to 24 mph are predicted across the region on Friday, the forecast showed.
Weekend weather
Scattered showers are in store for Saturday, including the possibility of thunderstorms after 3 p.m., while Sunday — Mother’s Day — should be partly sunny, according to the NWS.
Monday through next Thursday should be sunny, the forecast showed.
Highs are expected to drop to 73 Saturday and into the mid-60s Sunday. Highs should then jump to 74 Monday, 77 Tuesday, 78 Wednesday and 78 Thursday, according to the NWS.
This story was originally published May 6, 2022 at 6:15 AM.
